China

There will be new negotiations in October or November, to establish regular maritime contacts among China, the islands, and Taiwan.

The same seismic zone of last May’s earthquake is hit. Hundreds of schools destroyed. Aid begins to trickle through, but not enough to meet needs.

An activist is sentenced for “disturbing the social order”. Beijing had promised foreign journalists complete freedom of the press for most of the year. Reverend Zhang (aka ‘Bike’) has been freed, but he is still banned from Beijing and cannot meet journalists.

New violence in the western Chinese province, the theater of clashes between Beijing officers and Muslim separatists. The police say they reacted to an attack by the group of Muslims; an association that defends the rights of the Uyghurs instead speaks of a "deliberate attack".

They had been sentenced to a year of "reeducation through labor" for asking for permission to protest during the Olympics. No public reason has been given for the reversal: perhaps it is nothing more than concern over the country's image.

In an interview with CNN, the Russian leader lashes out against the "electoral advantage" in the United States allegedly at the basis of an intervention in Georgia. The effort to gain support for the independence of the separatist regions from China and the republics of central Asia has failed. Tensions mount with the United States and the European Union.

The proposal to keep the Olympic flame lit until the end of the games for the disabled has gone unheeded. This would have been "a strong sign" to the international community, which often forgets the daily difficulties faced by people with handicaps.

The Russian president is seeking support for his decision to recognise independence for the two Georgian regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. But separatism is already an internal problem for both Beijing and New Delhi. Giving the go ahead on independence, means risking the break up of the two Asian giants.

The accident originated in a chemical plant in Yizhou, releasing sulfurated hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Explosions at the plant continued for six hours. People are banned from drawing water from Longjiang River, polluted by gases and industrial waste.

The Chinese juggernaut is showing increasing signs of economic crisis. Inflation and the slowdown in world economies are pushing up unemployment and the number of bankruptcies. Bank earnings and housing prices are down. The negative trend could last one or two years.

Hu Jia, detained in Chinese prison under the accusation of "subversion against the state", may not receive medical care or communicate with his family: the guards confiscate his letters and books, and will not permit him to speak with his relatives or his lawyer. Restrictions are also in place against his wife.

The arrest took place shortly before ceremonies concluding the Olympics. The bishop had been under house arrest for months. Catholics fear a worsening of persecution and arrests now that the Olympic “truce” is over.